Summary:

• U.K. retail sales rise despite pressure
• Consumer confidence hits new low, GfK says

• WPP revenue dips on weak Europe results

Investing.com -- British stocks opened higher on Friday as the holiday-shortened week neared its end, supported by data showing an unexpected rise in U.K. retail sales for March and ongoing tariff uncertainty.

As of 0710 GMT, the blue-chip index FTSE 100 rose 0.2%, while GBP/USD dropped 0.2% against the dollar to 1.33.

Meanwhile, DAX in Germany climbed 0.45% and the CAC 40 in France rose 0.8%.

Retail sales climb despite consumer pressure

Data published by the Office for National Statistics showed that U.K. retail sales rose by 0.4% in March, slowing from a revised 0.7% increase in February.

The gain came despite ongoing pressure on consumer confidence amid recent tariff tensions tied to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Economists had forecast a 0.3% decline in sales, which mainly reflect goods purchases and are reported without adjusting for inflation.

U.K. consumer sentiment sinks on cost, trade worries

According to research group GfK’s latest data, consumer sentiment in the U.K. dropped to its lowest level in over a year in April, as households contended with rising costs and renewed concerns over the economic impact of U.S. trade policies.

The index fell by four points to -23, the weakest reading since November 2023, reflecting pressure from domestic tax hikes, soaring household bills, and fears that tariffs from the U.S. could spark another inflation surge.

China reportedly considers easing tariffs on U.S. goods

Bloomberg on Friday reported that Chinese authorities are considering removing certain U.S. products from the steep 125% import tariffs.

The move could help reduce some of the friction between the world’s two biggest economies.

Company updates

U.K.-based advertising giant WPP PLC (LON: WPP ) posted a drop in revenue for the first quarter, with underperformance in its European segment dragging down overall results.

Despite the recent introduction of new U.S. tariffs, the company noted that it has not observed any significant reaction from its clients so far.

In its trading update, the company reported that revenue, excluding pass-through costs, declined by 2.7% year-over-year to £2.48 billion ($3.3 billion), missing the £2.54 billion consensus forecast from analysts polled by Bloomberg.